Chapter 29
The Gardiners were intelligent, well mannered, gracious, and charming. Darcy, seated in the drawing room at Netherfield, could not help but steal an occasional bewildered look at Mrs. Bennet. The matron, who was sitting near Miss Bennet and Bingley, was chattering loudly about the upcoming wedding in an overly effusive way. It was odd that Mr. Gardiner, so refined, so courteous, was brother to Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Philips, both of whom were overly noisy and often vulgar.
On the other hand, neither woman expected all those in their orbit to do their bidding, which made them a pleasant alternative to Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
"Yes, Miss Darcy," Mrs. Gardiner explained cheerfully, claiming Darcy's attention. "I grew up in Lambton and only moved away to London in my sixteenth year. It is a delightful little town, is it not?"
"Oh yes!" Georgiana gushed happily. "My brother and I have often visited the little shops there."
"Let me guess," Elizabeth suggested with arch look at Mr. Darcy. "Perhaps you and your brother are especially faithful in patronizing the bookstore?"
Georgiana chuckled and nodded. "You know him well indeed! Yes, we always visit the bookstore, and somehow, in spite of a library at Pemberley, which is half the size of our ball room and two stories in height, we always come home with stacks of books."
"As a fellow bibliophile, I approve heartily, sir," Mr. Bennet declared from his seat across from Darcy's. "What subjects interest you the most?"
While Darcy wished to speak to the woman he adored, could not pass up this chance to forge a closer acquaintance with Elizabeth's father. "I read widely, but prefer histories to fiction," he said. "I also find Coke's treatises on agriculture to be interesting, though mentally taxing at times."
"Have you ever attended the Holkham Clippings?" Elizabeth asked, sitting down next to her father.
Delighted to have Elizabeth involved in the conversation, he nodded and said, "I have indeed, though it was some years ago when my father still lived. Mr. Coke is a remarkable man, and the clippings a marvelous time for agriculturists to trade information on crops and animal husbandry. I ought to make time to attend the clippings again, but I have been busy these last years."
"Pemberley must be a large estate, if the income is some 10,000 pounds per annum," Mr. Bennet remarked. "You are a young man to be responsible for the land, along with all the people who depend on that land."
"I am," Darcy agreed seriously. "I was but three and twenty when my father passed on to his reward. He did his best to teach me how to manage the estate well when I was a youth, but I will not prevaricate; those two years after his death were exhausting and difficult for me."
"It is to the elder Mr. Darcy's credit that he did prepare you for your future role in life," Bennet mused. "My own father spent only a little time instructing my older brother and no time preparing me. When my father and brother died in a carriage accident, I was not prepared at all to manage Longbourn."
Darcy stared at the man in surprise. "My condolences, Mr. Bennet. That must have been very difficult."
"It was," the master of Longbourn agreed. "I was but eighteen years of age and hoped to obtain Holy Orders and become a fellow at Oxford. I would, I think, have been happy in an academic setting for life."
"I did not know that, Papa," Elizabeth said in wonder.
"Well, it was a very long time ago, was it not? Nor do I regret my life now; losing my father and brother was tragic, but an Oxford fellow is not permitted to marry. My lot in life is better than the plans I made, as I would not trade my girls for all the books in the world."
"Of course you would not," Darcy returned with remarkable fervor, which drew an amused look from the older man.
"I am delighted that you find my daughters so delightful, Mr. Darcy. Or perhaps I should say, you find one of my daughters delightful?"
This provoked Darcy to flush, and Elizabeth to blush, and Bennet chuckled just as a servant entered to announce that dinner was served.
/
Charles Bingley was not a fanciful man, but in this moment, seated at the head of his own table, surrounded by friends and soon to be family, he thought this moment was as close to heaven as he had ever known.
His dear, precious Jane, sitting at his right, was conversing with Miss de Bourgh, though she kept casting loving glances in his direction. In but a few short days, she would be his forever.
To his left sat Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who in turn was seated next to Darcy. Their conversation, which had started with a discussion of the Royal Mint in London, had then veered off to Sir Isaac Newton and the man's attempts to discourage the counterfeiting of currency a full century ago.
Bingley grinned at the twosome; he had been astonished to discover that his friend Darcy was in love with Elizabeth but also overjoyed. There were few ladies in all of England with the cleverness and curiosity to keep up with Fitzwilliam Darcy's powerful intellect. Elizabeth's character was dissimilar to his friend's; she was outgoing and cheerful, whereas Darcy was retiring and even gruff in company. Elizabeth would soften Darcy's manners, while Darcy would provide his wife with security, love, and exposure to a larger world.
In the middle of the table, Georgiana Darcy was cheerfully speaking with Mrs. Gardiner; no doubt they were talking about Lambton near Pemberley. Mrs. Annesley and Mr. Gardiner were also chatting happily; Jane had told him that her uncle was a charming individual and a good conversationalist.
At the foot of the table, the rest of the Bennets were gathered, and while his future mother's voice was louder than was considered proper, he did not mind a great deal. He had never been as critical of his fellow men and women as Darcy and his sisters.
He was thankful that Mr. Bennet seemed bent on improving the behavior of his youngest daughter; she had not been permitted to attend this dinner party due to some undisclosed poor behavior.
A gentle touch on his arm drew his attention back to his glorious love.
"Will Caroline and Louisa be attending our wedding, Charles?" Jane asked in a crisper tone than usual.
He daringly reached out to touch her ungloved hand with his own and said, "I am not yet certain. I will only permit them to come if they promise to behave in a kind and courteous manner toward you and your family."
Jane, dear, angelic, kindly Jane, looked back at him, with eyes as hard as sapphires, and said, "I am grateful that you are requiring your sisters to treat me well, Charles. I will not allow them to insult or mistreat me and my beloved family."
/
Lydia Bennet, wrapped in a woolen shawl, leaned against the wooden wall of her cell and moaned piteously as tears tracked down her woebegone face.
Well, it was not really a cell, of course. There were no bars, though the door was locked. It was, in fact, a perfectly serviceable, tiny room for a servant girl. But she was not a servant. She was Lydia Bennet, youngest daughter of a gentleman!
For a moment, she was tempted to hurl her dinner tray against the wall in fury. The moment passed quickly; she had done just that yesterday morning, and while the resulting mess of broken crockery had pleased her, the only result had been that her father had ordered her mattress removed. Now she was sleeping on a pile of blankets, like a vagabond!
She truly did not understand what was happening. Only a fortnight previously, she had been happy as a lark, flirting with officers by day and dreaming of an early marriage at night. And then her father had gone entirely mad! For Lydia's entire life, Mr. Bennet had avoided strife and fusses, and while he often said that his youngest daughters were absurd, Lydia did not care so long as her father did not interfere with her daily activities. And for fifteen years, she had largely done what she liked. She was her mother's favorite daughter, and Lydia had learned at a young age how to wheedle and whine Mrs. Bennet into giving her whatever she wished.
Another tear slipped down her cheek as she considered her mother. She had assumed that the lady of Longbourn would rush to rescue her favorite daughter as soon as she learned what her husband had done. Indeed, the night she had been locked up, Lydia had sat by the door with her ear pressed against the keyhole. She had heard Mrs. Bennet wailing aloud from the floor below and had waited anxiously for the familiar tread of her mother's shoes to announce the arrival of her savior, but then nothing. Her mother had not come.
Lydia groaned aloud. She could not bear to be locked up for much longer with nothing to do, and her father had promised that she would be permitted to join the family for meals if she started behaving better.
As much as she hated it, she would act the dutiful, obedient, sedate daughter. Surely, once she had been released to spend time with the rest of her family, Mrs. Bennet would take her side and Lydia would return to her comfortable bedchamber.
/
"It was wonderful spending more time with you this evening, Miss Elizabeth," Darcy said softly, gazing down fondly at his beloved.
"I enjoyed it very much as well," Elizabeth returned, her eyes glowing with shy delight.
Darcy glanced around at the others milling around the vestibule and, assured that everyone else was in conversation, lowered his voice and asked, "Miss Elizabeth, might I have the opportunity of speaking to you privately tomorrow morning?"
The lady's cheeks flushed bright pink, but she nodded immediately. "My mother, sisters, and the Gardiners intend to spend the day with my uncle and aunt Philips. I will make an excuse to stay behind at Longbourn."
"Thank you, Eliza ... Miss Elizabeth. Thank you."
"The coach is here, Lizzy! Do come along!" Mrs. Bennet cried.
/
"Mr. Bingley is charming, Jane," Mrs. Gardiner announced as the Bingley carriage carried the Gardiners and two eldest Bennet girls back to Longbourn. The party from Longbourn was too large to fit in the Bennet carriage, and thus Bingley had arranged for his carriage to carry guests to and fro.
"Indeed he is," Jane said warmly. "He is such a kind, gracious, genial man."
"I believe you and Mr. Bingley will deal very well with one another," Mr. Gardiner agreed.
"I found the Darcys most agreeable as well," Mrs. Gardiner continued in a surprised tone. "They were most attentive and courteous to me, which is remarkable given the disparity of our places in society."
Elizabeth bit her lip as she considered how to respond to this. Did she wish to tell her uncle and aunt the truth in her heart? She trusted them, of course, but...
"I am glad you like the Darcys," Jane said cheerfully. "Darcy is in love with Lizzy, and she with him."
"Jane!" Elizabeth exclaimed, turning to glare at her favorite sister. Given the darkness in the carriage it was a pointless exercise, but it made her feel better.
"Our aunt and uncle might as well know," Jane continued unrepentantly. "Indeed, we can make certain that you are indeed alone at Longbourn tomorrow when Mr. Darcy comes calling."
"Did you hear him say that when we were in the vestibule?" Elizabeth asked.
Her elder sister chuckled and said, "Indeed I did. I have very sharp ears, you know."
Mrs. Gardiner leaned forward in the gloom to lay a hand on Elizabeth's knee. "Please help me understand, Elizabeth. Do you believe Mr. Darcy is going to offer for you?"
Elizabeth could not hold back a sob of joy. "Yes, yes, I am confident he is!"
/
/
Author Note: Dear faithful readers - Reminder: I will be posting the remaining 3 chapters (32 total) then the story will have to be taken down on March 12. It will be published on Amazon with the same title, "Gallant Mr. Darcy". Cheers!